Independently operable multiple sash construction with automatic closing mechanism



Jan. 6, 1959 A. H. souLE 2,867,008

INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLKE MULTIPLE SASH CONSTRUCTION TIC CLOSING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITH AUTOMA Filed June 1 1951 all!!! mad" w w w 2 w w #4 w w w w W w J l F a -IIIL- y M x. M M A w o 2 m ya.

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INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE MULTIPLE SASH CONSTRUCTION WITH AUTOMATIC CLOSING MECHANISM Filed June 1. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n I I.

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m4 aw/M United States Patent INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE MULTIPLE SASH CONSTRUCTION WITH AUTOMATIC CLOSING MECHANISM Arthur H.- Soule, San Marino, Calif., assignor to Continental Specialties Company, Ltd.-, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 1, 1951, Serial No. 229,516

' 1 Claim. or. 20-42 1 This invention relates to a multiple sash window construction. More particularly, it relates to a louver-type window having a plurality of sashes swingable about horizontal axes between open and closed positions, and to an arrangement such as to provide for automatic closing of one of the sashes after the sashes are moved to open position.

In the copending application of Russell S. Strand, entitled Independently Operable Multiple Window Structure, Serial No. 132,249, now U. S. Patent No. 2,598,- 619, issued May 27, 1952, there is disclosed a multiple window structure in which there are a plurality of sashes, and wherein one of the sashes is arranged to close independently of the other sashes. The sashes are interconnected so that a person may open all of the sashes by manipulating a single sash, preferably the lower sash, and also close the other sashes by the manipulation, that is, the closing of a single sash, preferably the lower sash. The arrangement in the copending application identified above is such that, although a single sash may be used to open and close the other sashes, the single sash is nevertheless adapted to be closed independently of the remaining sashes when desired. It has been discovered that the lower sash when in open position has been a source of danger around schools, houses and other buildings because these sashes are sometimes located so close to the ground that children run into the open sashes and are injured. Although the lower sash is arranged to be closed independently of the remaining sashes, still, people sometimes forget to close the lower sashes and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a window construction wherein there is provided mechanism for automatically closing a lower sash independently of the remaining sashes, so that there will be no danger of accidentally leaving the lower sash in open position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple sash window construction similar to that set out in the copending application above identified but wherein there are simple spring means so connected and engaging a single sash preferably the lower sash such as to cause automatic closing of the sash after the sash has been moved to open position. These and, other objects of the invention will be, apparent from the following description and the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the following drawings Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein some of the reference characters designate similar parts throughout, Figs. 1 and 2 show a multiple sash window construction with an independently operable lower sash such as set out in the copending application above identified. The window construction comprises a frame having a sill 10 and stiles, one stile 12 being shown in Fig. 3. There are a plurality of interengaging sashes 15, 16

and 17 shown in Fig. 1 which are swingably mountedwithin the window frame and are adapted to interengage: with one another to completely close the window opening The window is symmetrical about a central vertical plane and therefore only one side of window construction will be described. w The window frame is provided with longitudinal channels, of which one identified by the reference numeral 20 is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Within this longitudinal channel there is slidably received a channel-shaped track member 18. Upper sash 16 is swingably mounted within the window frame by a pair of arms, one 23 of which is shown in Fig. 2. One end of arm 23'is pivoted to the window frame by means of a shoe 25 and the other end is pivotally secured to sash 16 at 26. Sashes 15 and 16 are mounted somewhat differently so their mountings will be described separately.

There are a pair of sash plates at the top of sash 16 and sash plate 27, shown in Fig. 2, is secured at one end to the upper end of sash 16 and is pivoted at 30 to a shoe 31 adjustably securedto the channel-shaped track member 18 by a suitable screw 29 clamping shoe;

31 to the channel-shaped track member. By the above construction, it can be seen that sash 16 and the sashes above sash 16, including sash 17, are swingably mounted within the window frame for swinging movement about a horizontal axis.

- The lower sash 15 is swingably mounted about a horishaped track member 18 and which latch mechanism en-- ables the sash 15 to be disconnected from sash 16 and the remaining sashes or to be connected to the sashes for imparting movement thereto. The top edge of sash 15 is pivotally connected to the channel-shaped track member 18 by sash plates, one 32 being shown, pivots, one 33 being shown, and shoes, one 34 being shown, in a manner similar to sash 16 above described. There are arms, one of which 36 is shown in Fig. 2, which are connected at one set of ends by pivots, one 38 being shownfor arm 36,to sash 15 and connected at their other ends to arm plates, one 40 being shown, secured to the window frame. Shoe 34 is a special kind of shoe and has beenreferred to in the copending application referred to as a release;

shoe and there is a latch mechanism generally shown at 42 which is secured to the channel-shaped track member 21 by a suitable screw or bolt 46. The release shoe 34.

is slidable with respect to the channel-shaped track member 21 except. when the release shoe .34 "is latched to the latch mechanism 42. The latch mechanism, which is shown in detail in the copending application hereinbefore identified, is such that, when the lower sash 15 is moved from a closed to an open position, the release shoe 34 is released from the latch mechanism 42 so that, when the sash 15 is subsequently moved toward a closed position, it will move independently of the upper sashes, including sashes 16 and 17. It is pointed out that the mechanism for swingably mounting the sashes 15, 16 and 17 is such as to normally retain the sashes in open position when the sashes are moved to their open position. Therefore, the lower sash will not automatically close, because of the force of gravity, after being Patented Jan. 6, 1959,

3 moved to open position, but, heretofore had to be man: ually closed.

Means for automatically closing the lower sash after the lower sash has been moved to open position and released from the other sashes is provided and comprises a pair of leaf springs, one 50 being shown, which are secured to the window frame by angular-shaped brackets, one 51 being shown, and screws 52. Leaf spring 50, as shown in Fig. 1, extends upwardly and is bent outwardly so as to be approximately parallel to the lower end of arm 36. When the lower sash is moved to open posi-. tion, the arm 36 will be moved from the full-line position, shown in Fig. 2, to the dot-dash line position, shown in Fig. 2, and such movement enables the arm 36 to engage the leaf spring 50, deforming the leaf spring and creating a force sufficient to cause closing movement of the sash 15 when the person opening the sash releases his grip on the sash. As soon as the person releases his grip, the spring causes the sash 15 to move from its dotdash position, shown in Fig. 2, to its closed position. The leaf springs therefore cause sash 15 to automatically move out of its danger position, that is, its open position to its closed position, and thereby positively assuring that children will not be injured by running into the lower open sash. The inertia of sash 15 is sufiicient to cause it to fully close after the spring 50 initiates movement of the sash.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the window includes a frame generally entitled 60, sashes 62 and 63 swingably mounted in frame by arms 65, sash plates 66, shoes 67 and arm plates 68 and suitable pivots, said construction being similar to the construction disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The lower sash has a release shoe 70 and a latch mechanism 71 similar to the prior described construction. In this form of the invention there are a pair of coiled tension springs, one 73 being shown. Spring 73 connected at one end to a pin or pivot 75 secured to release shoe '70 and connected at its other end to the fixed pivot or pin 78 secured to the fixed arm plate 68 of the upper sash 63. The operation of this form of the invention is as follows: When the lower sash 62 is moved to open position, the upper sashes, including sash 63, move to open position and at the same time the release shoe 70 is released from the latch mechanism 71. When the person releases his grip on sash 62, the spring 73, which has been deformed by the opening movement, will cause the sash 62 to move from the dotdash line position shown in Fig. 4 to closed position. It is pointed out that the relative movement between fixed shoe 68 for sash 63 and release shoe 70 for sash 62 is made possible by the releasing of the release shoe 70 from the relatively fixed latch mechanism 71. That is, as can be seen by the dot-dash construction in Fig. 4, when the lower sash 62 is moved to its open position,

the release shoe 70 will be moved downwardly and, since i arm plate 68 for sash 63 is stationary, the coiled tension spring 73 will be stretched by such movement, creating a force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the mounting mechanism for sash 62 which mechanism normally retains the sash in open position, and causes sash 62 to close.

From the above description, it will be realized that by Cat the present invention a multiple sash window construction has been provided in which the sashes are interconnected so that movement of one of the sashes, preferably the lower sash, can be imparted to the remaining sashes to open and close the remaining sashes and which con struction is such that the lower sash can be disconnected or released from the remaining sashes and which invention provides a mechanism for causing the lower sash to automatically move to closed position after it has been moved to open position, and which mechanism overcomes the force of the mounting mechanism for the sash which would normally retain the lower sash in open position.

Although the embodiments of the invention disclosed show the automatic closing of a lower sash, it is obvious that any one or several of the sashes could be arranged to be so closed.

While I have shown the preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes can be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

It is contemplated that the lower sashes may be so constructed and mounted and the springs so chosen and arranged-with reference to the sashes that the lower sashes may be moved to approximately closed positions and not to completely closed positions. For instance, if the mountings of sashes 15 and 62 provide sufficient friction, the lower sashes will be moved to and remain in the full line positions shown in Figs. 2 and 4 respectively and thereby allow some ventilation under and around the lower sashes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A louver-type window construction, comprising a frame, a plurality of sashes, means for swingably mounting the sashes in the frame including mechanism for retaining the sashes in open position when the sashes are moved to opened position, latch means releasably connecting one of said sashes to the remainder of said sashes to allow movement of said one sash in an opening direction to be imparted to the remaining sashes, means operable when said one sash is moved from a closed position to an open position to release said latch means to permit closing movement of said one sash independently of said remaining sashes, and a pair of leaf springs connected to the frame and arranged to be engaged by that portion of the first-named means swingably mounting said one sash when said one sash is opened, whereby movement of said first-named means will deform said leaf springs and said leaf springs will thereby urge said first-named means in the opposite direction to cause said one sash to return to its closed position after the force causing opening of said one sash is removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,168 Newsom Oct. 7, 1919 1,680,803 Petersime Aug. 14, 1928 2,293,944 Moseley Aug. 25, 1942 2,330,533 Wiley Sept. 28, 1943 2,598,619 Strand May 27, 1952 

